Its a love story right? We all know it!
by KER93
Summary: Max and Caroline love story :). If you read this can you please leave me a wee comment/review if you can it makes writing these things so much better! :).
1. In The Sun

It has been three days and Max isn't feeling any better. If anything she feels worse. Temperature, vomiting, nausea and confined to her bedroom, it's so bad that Max wishes she was at the diner on the receiving end of Oleg's sexual innuendoes. This feeling of being ill does not sit well with her, she never gets ill, being unwell is for the weaklings of society not for her. On the plus side, it has led to Caroline being her own personal assistant, complying with every demand Max has made. However, this like everything else has it's down side, every time Caroline takes Max's temperature or checks on her it is like something out of a pantomime. It is overly dramatic but that is Caroline all over: dramatic. Caroline has been dramatic since the first time she met Max, since that night on the train when Caroline tasered her by mistake but Max likes it, in fact she's grown to love it, she even thinks she's grown to love Caroline and this has confused Max.

She is unsure if it is friend love, if it's the best friend love that she has never had. She has never had someone so close whom she could rely on and trust but Caroline has changed that. She trusts Caroline, deep down she does but would never openly admit it. She has been toiling with these feelings for weeks now ultimately deciding that it is friend love, of course its friend love no one could ever love Max right? Only Max doubts her own justification and finds herself thinking inappropriate things about her best friend. What is it with her and her inappropriate feelings for inappropriate people? During this course of thought Caroline walks into Max's room for another temperature check up.

Max watches as Caroline proceeds to walk towards her bed, there is a bloom of warmth in her stomach and Max knows then that she is in love with Caroline. While her body is ill her mind is healthy, she can see Caroline in clear clarity and she is beautiful. She watches as Caroline talks, she can see her lips moving but can't hear her words she is too busy wondering what Caroline's lips would feel like against hers, she sees Caroline kneel down next to her while putting her hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

'Jeez Max, you still have a fever, maybe you should go to the doctor' Caroline suggests in a whiney voice that Max once found irritating. Max see a doctor? She doesn't even have a registered doctor. The only thing she sees a health professional for is birth control and even that hasn't proved fully successful in the past. Max shrugs this suggestion off and tells Caroline that she is fine, only Max was the one who once told Caroline fine never means fine. She hopes Caroline has forgotten and she isn't caught up in her own lie. Caroline doesn't seem to want to argue with Max and so proceeds to tell her about the day at the diner. Caroline suggests Max drinks some more water and she reaches over Max to grab the glass from Max's bedside table. It is then that Max realises how close they are, how close her lips are to Max's, so close that if Max moved an inch they would be kissing. Her pulse throbs in her throat and she cant swallow. She smells like strawberries and summer, it is almost intoxicating.

Then Max does the unthinkable and kisses her. Its gentle and its soft and she is almost sure the only thing Caroline will be able to taste is cough sweets and sick. Much to her surprise Caroline responds and kisses her back, but it feels rushed and Max can tell Caroline is nervous. She tries to slow it down by placing her hands on the small of Caroline's back but she pulls away, shocked and wide eyed like a deer caught in the headlights and leaves Max's bedroom. A short while later Max hears the front door close and then there is nothing but silence.

The digital clock across from Max's bed blinks insistently in her dark room, it is almost 2 hours off but Max has not reset it since it had been accidentally unplugged the day before, she just does the math in her head to calculate the time. She makes a mental note to reset it when she is better, when time management is needed again. She lays in bed contemplating what she has done, wishing she could go back to the time on her clock when she hadn't kissed Caroline but she knows this is impossible. She swallows hard, willing herself to remain calm and not puke up the bile that is slowly rising in her throat. She can't lose Caroline, no she just cant but she has hasn't she? She has messed it up like everything else in her life.

Unbeknown to Max, after Caroline had left the apartment she had let herself into the diner and sat in the dark by herself wondering why she pulled away why she disentangled herself from Max. She was shocked for sure and it was unexpected but she had wanted it. She wanted Max. No she didn't just want Max, she was in love with Max. And now she had ruined it.


	2. Feel It Coming

Caroline awoke in the diner. She had no recollection of what time it was but she felt like she had not slept for long. Her body felt sore from her sleeping position and she could feel a dull headache brewing. She peeked out the window to find the stars still shining, twinkling like little balls of hope. _How had this happened?_ Pitch black, alone and in a diner where she spent so much time that she almost felt like she was at home, how sad was that? From high-rise first class hotels to a Williamsburg diner, oh how the mighty fall she thought. But it wasn't home, it wasn't _their _home. Ultimately knew how this had happened; Max had kissed her.

She had kissed _her._ Max the person who gave her the warm fuzzy feeling in her stomach, who gave her butterflies when she laughed or smiled at one of Caroline's corny jokes or over positive speeches about their future had kissed her. She had been wondering what that moment would feel like forever; since she had met Max there had always been an attraction. Max was like a magnetic field and Caroline just kept getting drawn closer. She had never had feelings for a girl before but with Max it felt new and exciting but at the same time it felt like home; warm, comfortable and it gave her a sense of belonging. By the time she looked out the window again, light had broken. It was time to go home and face the music.

Light broke in through Max's bedroom window, breaking holes in the blanket of darkness that encased Max's bedroom. Max had repeatedly checked her phone. No messages, no calls, no voicemails, no nothing. God she had screwed this up. Max had always felt that a relationship was for pleasure only, get what you want then go, anything else resembled being tied down. She didn't want to be obligated to tell someone where she was, what she was doing or when she would be home. She simply refused to live up to someone else's expectations in exchange for being loved. However, that changed with Caroline. She found herself wanting someone, no not someone, just Caroline. She wanted it to be Caroline, who couldn't wait to find out how she was doing. The same Caroline who she couldn't wait to talk to, who would be at the other end instantly answering her texts. Max realised that her life without Caroline would feel terribly empty.

Caroline got back to the apartment just as the morning commuters were making their way to work. Okay work may not be the correct answer; maybe drug dealing or drug harvesting would be more appropriate. When she walked into the apartment she could see the bathroom door was closed and the sound of the shower brought her overwhelming comfort, maybe she wouldn't have to face Max after all. She could quickly grab a few things for work and leave. The kiss had left her nerves frayed and she kept one ear focused on the bathroom just incase she heard the shower being turned off. Then as if fate had been listening she heard the shower stop, some movement and then the door opened.

Max stood at the inside of the bathroom door wearing only a towel.  
'Oh my God, I'm sorry.' Caroline said and immediately she felt her face go hot.  
'I wasn't expecting you to be out so soon.' She took one step back closer to the front door and dipped her head but her eyes darted back to Max.  
Her face…her chest…her legs.

'No its okay. Come on in Blondie I don't mind if you don't mind but don't perv on me.' Max replied with a slight smile.  
Max was both relieved and anxious to see Caroline standing there and was fighting the urge to walk over to her kiss her again and tell her what last night really meant. For Caroline, if she left now it would be an admission that she did mind and Caroline didn't want Max to know this. Max proceeded to walk over to Caroline's bed which allowed Caroline's eyes to take Max in. Then she felt the heat flush in her more than her face when she saw Max's towel had come loose slightly, she hoped Max didn't notice. _What the hell was wrong with her?_

Max sat on Caroline's pink vagina bed and gestured with her hand that Caroline join her. Reluctantly she made her way over to the bed beside Max preferring to lean against the sofa rather than sit next to Max. It was an awkward type of silence, which was unusual for them. Max decided she would break it even if what she was saying was lies. 'I'm sorry about last night, it was a one off and it wont happen again I was just confused with being ill and you were so close.' Caroline let the words 'one off' and 'wont happen again' sink in. This was not what she had hoped for. Instead of saying anything and giving herself away she simply nodded and smiled hoping that would be enough for Max to leave it, hoping that Max wouldn't notice the tears she was fighting back. She noticed Max's hair was still slightly wet and tousled from the shower then she noticed some water beads slowly creeping down Max's shoulders. She hadn't realised that she had been staring at Max for a beat too long until Max smiled.

_Focus, Caroline_, she told herself. She could smell Max's freshly washed skin and the shampoo she had used. Her body was still too conscious of Max's. She was exhausted, that's all. It was more difficult to shut down basic physical responses when your body was tired, right? This time though when she glanced at Max, she did notice. And her eyes locked on Caroline's. She wasn't sure how it happened again but this time she done nothing to stop it. Max stood and it started with a kiss. Tender and gentle, it was almost as if Max was testing her. When Max pulled her against her, Caroline lost her balance and fell onto the bed. An accident? Intentional? At that point it didn't matter. She fell and didn't let go, ending up on top of Max. Caroline had one outstretched arm on each side of her, holding herself up, inches keeping their chests apart. But the rest of her body was already pressed against Max's. Max could have pulled her down the rest of the way but left the decision to Caroline, she left Caroline on her own to fight the magnetic field between them.

She couldn't. She looked at Max, her eyes were serious with no hint of humour and then they were locked on Caroline's again. Max lifted her head, eyes still not leaving Caroline's and kissed her again, this time it was more forceful. There was an intensity between them, an intensity so strong that Caroline thought if anyone could see them they would see the sparks they were sending off each other. Max's lips were soft and warmer and better than Caroline had remembered. She let Max's lips tease her chin, then her jaw, her neck and then further down to her collarbone. Every time Max touched her it was electric, like a current running through her body. She felt heat pool in her body and realised this is what it should feel like. This is love, what she had with Max was love not just sex. Not just confused girl on girl best friend fooling around sex.

The knock on the door sounded like a warning gunshot, startling them both.  
'Max' a gruff voice shouted.  
'Its me, its Johnny'


	3. A Bad Dream

Caroline felt like a busted teenager getting caught doing something she shouldn't have been doing. She scrambled awkwardly off Max and off the bed. The door cracked in another explosion as Johnny knocked again. She was embarrassed and flushed – even more flushed when she saw Max still lying on the bed smiling.

'I'm _coming_!' shouted Max while she gave Caroline a sly teasing smile.  
Max quickly jumped off the bed to put clothes on, the only time she put her clothes on this quickly was to make an escape out the window when she thought her mother could be at the other side of the door.

Caroline had taken herself over to the back door. Her hair was still messy and her top was still slightly rolled up at the front, enough for Max to see the soft pale skin that minutes ago she had been touching. _God it had felt good_. She was unsure why Johnny would be at her door, the last time they saw each other they had agreed to stay friends because they were no good together, they just didn't have 'it' when they were together. She opened the door to see him standing before her and she had to admit he looked good. Really good.

Caroline's heart was pounding, she could hear it in her ears, in her chest, she was surprised the whole room couldn't hear it. But it was pounding in a good way. It was beating as if it was beating for Max and in a way it probably was. She was the one who had rescued Caroline. Who had taken her in when no one else would, who put up with her like no one else could, who let her sleep in her bed when she needed comfort and it was that kind of soft vulnerability inside the hard outer shell that Caroline had ultimately fell in love with. But as she knew first hand life had a way of screwing with you. So when Johnny knocked on the door she was none surprised. She glanced over towards the door watching Max and him talk, she looked beautiful, exquisite actually and her heart fluttered a little more.

Max knew Caroline was watching, she could feel her eyes burning into her soul. Johnny was talking rapidly and not making a lot of sense then he said it, the thing she did not want to hear right now. He said he wanted her. That they could move past the whole 'we don't have it when were together' thing. Before she allowed him to speak any more she moved him out into the hall.

'What the hell are you doing Johnny?!' she whispered aggressively.  
'Im serious Max, I want you, no one else compares, surely we can move past the problem we had before.'  
Max's head was reeling. Johnny was the first man she could have seen a future with but that was in the past. Her past. They had tried and failed and then they had tried and failed again. And more importantly this time she was _in love_ with Caroline. Her body was still yearning for her, still wanting that sensual contact with her.

_Why had they gone into the hall_? Caroline was confused and slightly alarmed. She had never been jealous unless it was because someone had gotten designer pants before her but that seemed irrelevant at the moment. She could feel the jealousy begin to bubble away. She knew the history between Max and Johnny, she had lived here through it and Max knew she wasn't entirely keen on Johnny. She hoped that he was not going to come and ruin what had just happened. Hoped that he was not going to take Max away from her. Max was the most unobtainable person on the planet yet Caroline had yielded some sort of power over her, after all it was Max who had insinuated the kissing. She felt the thrill slowly creeping back up her spine as she remembered Max kissing her neck and then her collarbone. She hadn't dreamt what had happened, it had happened and she knew Max had wanted _her, _there and then on the bed. She silently hoped that Max would open the door and enter without Johnny before her jealously threatened to reach boiling point.

Max still could not believe what was happening to her. She had the girl of her dreams behind the door and the man she once considered the man of her dreams in front of her. She knew she was emotionally retarded, she had spent all of her life keeping everyone out and yet these two people had somehow gotten under her skin. Johnny admittedly less so, but she knew he was less risk. She knew they could have meaningless sex and they could still be friends. She knew they could try and fail again and still be friends. With Caroline she wasn't so sure. She knew Caroline could not handle their relationship as friends if they didn't work. She would go all weird and awkward and Max didn't want that. She didn't want to hurt Caroline. _No she wouldn't do that to her_. She wouldn't hurt Caroline like she had hurt everyone else.

Caroline felt like it had been hours and yet it could only have been ten minutes, maybe less. She could hear the muttering in the hall and was debating whether to creep closer to the door to see if she could hear anything but she refrained, knowing Max would be annoyed if she knew she was listening. Then she heard the door open and Max walked in, she looked slightly shocked as if what Johnny had said had knocked her for six. Caroline felt the emptiness fill her stomach and she knew then in an instant that this could not be good. _She could feel it_. She watched Max grab her jacket and head for the door without saying a word. Was it shame? Embarrassment? Caroline genuinely did not know. As if Max was reading her thoughts she turned to Caroline, her eyes facing the floor like she couldn't look at her.

'I'm sorry Caroline, I really am but I_ cant hurt you, I wont hurt you_ like I have everyone else. This cant happen between us. I'm sorry.' it was barely more than a whisper but Max knew Caroline could hear. She could feel the shame burn in her face. She turned to leave the room. What she had said was true she didn't want to hurt Caroline, she loved her, more than she ever expected. But what Max wasn't as willing to admit was that she didn't want to be hurt herself, she was scared of love. Simply scared that if she gave herself fully to Caroline she would end up alone, with a broken heart and no best friend. Scared enough to leave the girl she loved for a man she knew and liked but ultimately knew they had no future.

She had taken the easy option and she knew it. She leaned back to close the door, muffling the sounds of the small sobs that had escaped from Caroline.


	4. Seen It All

Caroline couldn't breathe. Well she could but it felt incredibly difficult. The pain vibrated in her chest and she felt like the walls and ceiling were about to close in on her any minute now. After everything that had happened the past few years it was going to be this that would break her. She felt broken, little pieces of her breaking, with each break came a small sob. _Caroline Channing, the girl who had gotten under Max Black's skin_. The same girl who was now sitting on the floor with her back up against the purple oven, knees pulled up to her chest and tears falling from her eyes. She had gotten under Max's skin that's for sure but it had come at a painful, heart-wrenching price. She hated to admit it but she knew this would happen, _she knew Max would push her away_. She knew, but it didn't stop her from hoping that she could be different for Max.

Max and Johnny had walked a few blocks, the afternoon was hot and Max was unsure if it was the heat that was making her feel nauseous or the fact that she had hurt Caroline that bad. She could still hear Caroline's soft sob on loop in her head and it wouldn't go away. She heard it over _again and again and again_. She mumbled some half hearted replies to Johnny as he continued to talk like nothing was wrong. But to him nothing was wrong. He didn't know about Caroline, he didn't know they had kissed and god knows what else if he hadn't interrupted; he didn't know there were feelings involved. He had come to the apartment for Max and now she was here with him.

Caroline reached into her pocket and retrieved her phone, but there was nothing to see. No messages or calls. She had been sitting on the floor for hours, but it was time to move. She had to go to the diner, she needed the money, probably even more so now that her and Max's friendship was probably over. Their cupcake dream would probably be over too. _Their little window of opportunity gone_. She recoiled at the thought of this, everything could be over for her, for _them_. It hurt, it really hurt. Walking towards the bathroom, she started to undress. She pulled her top over her head looking at herself in the mirror, she swore she could see the marks on her where Max had gently kissed her only hours ago. She shuddered at the thought and turned the shower on. The cold water quickly turned hot and she let it caress her body. She could feel the water start to warm her skin, it was slightly too hot and her skin had started turning a darker shade of pink. She ran her hand over her neck and collarbone, her skin burned slightly with the water, but it didn't compare to the burning she had felt when Max had kissed her there.

Luckily for Caroline the diner had been quiet. Max as she had expected didn't appear and Han was nearly having a coronary because she hadn't appeared. She had caught Earl staring at her a few times. _Did he know?_ She didn't think her excuse of shampoo going in her eyes to explain the red glow of them was going to wash with him. She had tried to ignore it but she knew him hanging around after Han had left was no accident. She prepared herself for this talk. She tried to hold it together by avoiding his look, but it didn't work. She felt the first tear roll off her cheek and soon more followed. There were no words from Earl just a surprisingly strong hug. She clung to him tightly while asking him through tears not to say anything to anyone. He agreed and before he left said 'She loves you too Caroline, she just needs more time to process it, she's not used to it. Stick it out'

Max had avoided the diner, she had left Johnny at his new apartment and decided to walk, assuming that the cool night air would do her good. She didn't know where she would end up and she didn't know how far she would need to walk. She debated going to the diner but what could she say? Nothing she could say could take away the pain she had seen in Caroline's face and heard in her cry before she had shut the door on her. Nothing she could say would take away the pain she had caused Caroline. She had explained to Johnny what had happened, her kissing Caroline when she was ill then her and Caroline kissing on the bed, him interrupting. He didn't seem shocked or upset. In fact he looked as if what Max was saying had been inevitable. As if he was expecting her and Caroline to develop feelings for each other at some point. But he had left the door open for her. He had told her if she changed her mind and wanted to give it another shot with him she knew which door to knock on.

She debated with herself, deciding that she didn't have to make a choice between them. She didn't have to choose either of them she could be alone, she had been for so long and she had been okay. She had been okay until Caroline had came and skewed that with her blonde hair, her big blue eyes, her annoying yet lovable personality, her over positive speeches and dreams. Just her in general had changed Max. Max knew that Caroline had changed her for the better. She was better with Caroline, she was a better person and they worked better as a team. She was the frosting to Max's cupcake. _Urgh I sound disgustingly needy_ Max thought.

Caroline reached the apartment door with trepidation. She wondered if Max was inside and if so what would happen. She didn't know if she could face her because she knew she could crumble and that would freak Max out and she would leave again. _No she had to steel herself, she had to be prepared if Max was there_. Remember what Earl said she thought 'stick it out.' She would tell her how she felt and let Max decide what to do with it and figure it out. But the more she thought about it the more she convinced herself not to tell Max. No, she decided it would be better to let Max make the first move and let her see where it took her. If Max wanted to be friends then Caroline would do it, because it was Max and she loved her and she wouldn't want to have a Max shaped void in her life. She pressed her ear against the door hoping to hear any indication of Max. There was none. She entered quietly and quickly realised Max was not home, there was no sound and the place was in darkness. She let out a sigh that was mixed with relief and sadness. Relief that she didn't have to see Max just now yet sad that Max had not returned home.

Max walked some more and realised that from here she could go back to Caroline and try and figure some things out between them and their relationship or she could go back to Johnny and take the easy route. Then she heard the music. It came from the new bar across the street '_those little doves had sent my mind and heart a beating, to say I felt weird really doesn't need repeating_.' And then she knew. She knew where she had to go and what was the best option for her, she quickened her pace until the music was a faint hum in the background…

_'I've seen it all, I've seen it all now, I've seen it all, I've seen it all now, I swear to God I've seen it all nothing shocks me anymore after tonight. I've seen the light but not the kind I would have liked'_

She reached the door, slightly out of breath. It maybe wasn't her best idea to run the last of the way with her boots on. She didn't know which was worse the throbbing of anticipation in her chest, _was she doing the right or wrong thing?_ Or the throbbing in her ankles from the run. _Silly Max_. She raised her hand slightly then pulled it back close to her chest. Was this a mistake? She didn't know. She didn't know what would come next for her. It was the middle of the night and she was about to knock on a door. _Screw it_ she thought. She lifted her hand and tapped the door.


	5. Total Eclipse of the Heart

The noise on the door as she tapped echoed in the hallway. Either that or her heart was literally beating on loudspeaker. Usually she would walk in, storm in actually, she never did anything delicately but considering the circumstances she thought it would be better to knock first. Max fought the internal panic and nausea that was building in her as she waited. Then her panic increased ten fold when she heard movement behind the door, she realised how big this moment could be for _her, for them_. It would probably define the rest of her future at least in the short term anyway. Long term? She sure hoped so. The handle of the door moved and then it opened slightly.

'Hey its me' Max tried to keep her voice strong but when the words escaped her mouth she knew they sounded anything but strong. They sounded shaken and cracked. Max's eyes finally focused on the person standing in front of her. She looked beautiful even with her messy hair, her tired red eyes no doubt from crying Max thought and her jammies with the bit of fabric missing. She had no doubt this is where she was supposed to be, this girl was _her future_. _They were her future_. The idea of Max and Caroline together three years ago would have sounded insane to Max and yet now she couldn't imagine life without her. Feeling slightly defeated she kept looking at Caroline for any indication of where this was going.

'Hey' Caroline replied. It was one word and yet for Max it felt loaded, there was no smile or recognition with it. Caroline felt like time had stood still and she was unable to move. Everything she had planned to say to Max earlier had gone out the window and she thought her voice had followed it. She stood back and motioned for Max to come in even though technically it was Max's apartment. She leaned over and switched the light on and watched Max slowly shut the door behind her. She wondered if Max had been as upset as Caroline had been the past day or so. She doubted it, but at the same time she thought she saw a hint of anguish in Max's eyes. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around Max and tell her it would be okay, that they would be okay.

Max paced over to the couch, letting the silence settle between them. She didn't know what to say. The usual sarcastic mouthpiece that was Max Black was stumped for words. _This must be a first Max thought_. She was usually the bold strong one and yet it was Caroline who took the initiative. She made her way over to the couch beside Max and sat down. Before Max could say anything she felt Caroline's hand brush next to hers and then felt her fingers begin to entwine with her own, their palms touching. _She was holding Max's hand_. Max's first thought was to let go and bring the attention to something else but as she felt the warmness of Caroline's hand in her own she began to relax and wondered why she had never held it before. It fit her own hand like the old clichéd 'fit like a glove' phrase.

Caroline's heart was pounding, she was holding Max's hand and Max had made no attempt to walk or run, she actually looked comfortable. This must be a good sign. They sat in silence, a comfortable silence holding hands like it was the norm for friends to do. It was Caroline who decided to break the silence 'I missed you Max.' Max could tell from her voice that she was sincere and she felt the warmth fill her veins. 'Yeah I missed you too Blondie.' Caroline assumed this was the first time Max had told someone she had missed them and actually meant it.

Caroline began to talk. About the diner, Han, Earl basically anything except what had happened between them however Max stood and pulled Caroline towards her. Max knew they had _a lot_ to talk about but right now she wanted to communicate in a different form. She gently pushed Caroline on the bed while she took off her jacket. She bent over and kissed Caroline, their tongues gently touching and she knew that she wanted Caroline not just for tonight but forever. Caroline could feel the heat in her body as they began kissing, her legs wrapped around Max's waist in an automatic response and she could feel Max's hands begin to wander over her body. Every touch eliciting a sensation she had never experienced before with anyone else. She complied as Max removed her top and bit her lip, restraining a moan that she didn't want to give, her eyes fluttered shut and it allowed her to focus on the sheer pleasure she was experiencing. She allowed Max's fingers to brush up her thighs, over her naked chest. _Everywhere_.

Her breath began to sound rough and ragged and she held onto the duvet tightly. She swallowed hard, enjoying everything she was feeling. Every touch was setting her on fire, the mere touches of Max's hands, fingers, and tongue were making her shiver in anticipation. She knew the release was coming but she tried to postpone it, getting lost in this sweet torture that Max was keeping her in. Then as Max's tongue made contact with her again she felt it. She grabbed the sheet tighter, arched her back and allowed the exhilarating feeling fill her body. Max bit her lower lip enjoying the response she had got from Caroline. Breathless, Caroline felt Max trail kisses over her taut stomach before moving upwards. She squeezed her legs around Max's waist tightly to remind herself that this wasn't a dream, and then she felt the weight of Max against her. Max leaned in to kiss her again before gently resting her forehead against Caroline's. Caroline thought it was the most intimate moment they had ever shared and Max thought it was the most intimate moment she had ever shared with anyone.

Max desperately wanted to tell Caroline she loved her. She really did, but the words couldn't come out. She wanted them to but they wouldn't and she tried to open her mouth but nothing came out. As if Caroline was reading her mind, she pressed a finger against Max's soft lips, still wet from kissing her and whispered 'I know.' She couldn't believe this had finally happened with Max it was everything she wanted and more, it felt right. She kissed Max again, this time she wasn't afraid or nervous she was at home. A short while later she disentangled her legs from Max's waist and crawled into her bed. Max had gotten up for a drink and Caroline had said goodnight. She didn't expect anything else from Max tonight; she knew Max would be internally freaking out on some emotional level. She was almost prepared for it this time.

So she was more than surprised when Max crawled into bed behind her. The brunette wrapped an arm around Caroline's waist and pulled her closer. Their bodies were touching, almost becoming one and Caroline could feel her warm breath on her neck. She felt Max's arm leave her waist then felt Max's hand brush her hair away from her neck where she planted a small but firm kiss then saying goodnight afterwards. She couldn't see her but she could swear she could feel Max smiling against her. Max ran her hand down Caroline's arm before settling her hand over Caroline's. Their fingers entwined once more.

Max could feel the heat of the blonde against her chest. She could hear Caroline's shallow breaths under her arm. She had tried to sleep but her mind was racing, her and Caroline holding hands, her and Caroline sleeping together, her and Caroline wrapped up in this embrace, would they tell people, keep it to themselves just now? It was a lot for her to process. She had never done this before, she had never held anyone so close and yet she couldn't think of anything better. She couldn't think of a time where she had felt more contented, okay well she could but she knew that was because of an illegal substance not a person. She couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else though, only Caroline. With this thought came a hint of insecurity, she hoped Caroline felt the same and she didn't want to do this with anyone else either. She felt Caroline stir beneath her and pulled her in tighter never wanting to let go.

_'I'm in love you Caroline'_ whispered Max gently placing a kiss on Caroline's shoulder. She didn't know where the words had come from, they had just came tumbling out her mouth. She felt relieved that Caroline was sleeping when she had said it though, she would tell her in full consciousness one day but for now this was enough, it was a huge step for Max and she knew Caroline would understand why she couldn't say it in person. She felt Caroline stir under her again as she rested her head back onto the pillow and closed her eyes. She was totally oblivious to the smile that had appeared on Caroline's face.


	6. This Is The One

_Just want to say a massive thank you for all your reviews, comments and messages they really mean alot! Only planned on making this a 1/2 chapter story but I have decided to expand it obviously, if you have any suggestions etc please send me a message :). Thank you again!_

* * *

Her nostrils filled with the scent of vanilla and strawberries. The scent was subtle and yet it was overwhelming all at the same time but it was Caroline's smell. She looked over at the bundle cocooned next to her._ She hogs the duvet_ Max thought while smiling to herself, still not fully awake. She could get used to this._ Yep Max Black afraid of commitment, emotions and everything else associated with relationships could get used to waking up to this, she could get used to waking up to Caroline in this atrocity of a pink vagina bed_. The light was starting to break through the window in the kitchen, that window really needs cleaned Max thought. With that, Max swung her bare legs out of the bed careful not to wake Caroline.

The floor felt cold on her feet as she made her way into her bedroom checking the clock. It read 10:58am. But since it had not been reset Max deduced it was only 7:58am. Max couldn't remember the last time she was awake at this time but this morning she had a particular spring in her step. She decided in her good mood she would take some money out their cupcake fund and go and get some coffee and pastries for Caroline waking up. She was determined to make this work; she would be a good girlfriend. _Urgh what is with me?_ Max thought. T_hey weren't even girlfriends, they hadn't even discussed it, they were too busy with other activities last night_. The thought of the previous night made Max feel giddy and she muffled a little giggle that escaped her mouth. She pulled on her black jeans, a red checkered shirt and wrote Caroline a note on a little pink post it in case she woke up when she was gone. She wrote the note and scribbled it out several times, she had no idea what to write. She finally settled on '_Gone to get coffee and some breakfast for us, Max x_. Yes she signed it with a kiss and perhaps a little cringe face. This was new to Max but she didn't hate it, which was a start. _A very good start._

Caroline stirred and after registering the light coming through the window finally blinked her eyes open, she was still tightly wrapped in her duvet. Her mind quickly flashbacked to the previous night. _Her, Max, naked, Max holding her, 'I'm in love with you Caroline_.' The thoughts sent electricity up her spine. She rolled over expecting to find Max still fast asleep like she normally was in the morning, Max was not one for the early rises. But she wasn't there. Caroline could smell her on her duvet, on her pillow, on _her_ but she was nowhere to be seen. She shouted 'Max' hoping she was just in the bathroom but she had a feeling their apartment was empty. She could feel her stomach dropping. _Please not again Max, please not again_ she thought. It was then that a little pink square on the fridge caught her eye.

Falling for her best friend was not something Caroline had expected, not only because her best friend was a woman herself but because her best friend was _Max_, half the time she was convinced she annoyed Max to the limit and yet their was something irresistible about her. Her dark curls, her red rosy lips, her deep as the ocean eyes, her overly sarcastic and witty personality that she used as a defence mechanism. _Irresistible_. They were opposites in every way and yet their friendship worked and her feelings for Max were far from one sided as she had learned last night – finally. Reading the post it note from Max she could feel the fluttering in her stomach starting. _Falling for her best friend may not have been expected but she was certainly enjoying it_.

Max was happy. She could honestly say that right now, on her way back with coffee and breakfast she was happy. Sure she still had her insecurities and she was pretty sure that at some point she would mess her and Caroline up but at that very minute she was happy. She was happy with her and Caroline's new development. Happy with her coffee. Happy with what she had selected for breakfast. She was happy it was as simple as that. She was even happier that she was close to home and would be seeing Caroline soon but she wouldn't admit that. She didn't even want to admit it to herself, a tiny voice in the back of her head telling her to '_stop being silly you're Max not mushy_.' However that was quickly admonished when she walked into their apartment.

Caroline stood behind their counter in the kitchen clearing up the food she had prepared for Chesnut as Max walked into their apartment. Carrying their coffees and breakfast Max made her way over to the counter unsure of what to do. _Should I kiss her? Hug her? Talk?_ She decided for a simple 'Hey', which was quickly reciprocated by Caroline and one of her adorable smiles. As she got closer to the counter Max could see Caroline was only wearing a t-shirt one of her t-shirts, white with Run DMC on it. It barely covered Caroline's lean legs and left very little to the imagination. Max couldn't help but admire her. She was stunning. Before Max had time to argue with her subconscious she walked around the counter and pulled Caroline's slim hips towards her. Caroline was a little taller than Max usually but with her bare feet and Max's boots they were nearly equal in height and Caroline gently put her arms around Max's neck in an eager yet non-possessive way. Max leaned up a little and kissed her, the previous nights kisses had been hot, quick and full of fire, this kiss was full of desire and longevity. With their tongues exploring each other's mouths, and her hands slowly running up the back of Caroline's t-shirt Max motioned Caroline back towards the bed and soon their coffees and breakfast were simply forgotten.

They lay in bed, breathless, panting and physically spent. Caroline was deliciously sore and had her arm draped over Max's stomach. Her and Max had hugged before and Max had let her share her bed on several occasions sure but the skin contact between them over the past 24 hours had sent Caroline's head spinning. She noticed Max shift below her and soon Max was on her side, her elbow propping her head up looking down at her. Caroline couldn't help but look back at her,_ her messy black curls, her perfect pink lips, her bare shoulders, and the exquisite curve of her hips_. She really was as pretty as a picture Caroline thought. Before Max could ask what she was doing, Caroline removed herself from the bed and turned around to make sure Max was enjoying the view of her body. As expected Max's eyes were exactly where Caroline wanted them to be. '_I'm going for a shower, we have work soon remember_,' said Caroline playfully. With that Caroline moved herself into the bathroom and turned the water on leaving the bathroom door open, fine well knowing Max would soon follow her.

They reached the diner with their arms interlocked, deciding against holding hands for the simple fact that they weren't ready for people to know about them yet. Apart from Earl who practically already knew. After their shower antics Caroline had inadvertently called Max '_babe_' before they had left for the diner, and much to her surprise Max hadn't scolded her or disliked it she simply smiled awkwardly and said 'you called me babe.' Caroline admitted that she had and even more surprisingly for her Max had asked what it had meant for them. Max couldn't believe she hadn't vomited down her uniform when Caroline called her '_babe_' but she resisted the urge and instead asked the question that she had been dreading: _what does this mean for us?_. Max and relationships didn't usually mix but she wanted to try with Caroline more than anything. She hoped that Caroline's answer would settle her and it did.

Caroline could tell it was difficult for Max to talk about the next step for them and wanted nothing more than to cup her face and kiss her again but instead she simply suggested that they both have strong feelings and attraction for each other being careful to exclude the word love so that Max would not know that she had heard her last night and so they would date like normal couples but for now they would keep it to themselves. _Girlfriends_. Max surprisingly seemed to take this in her stride and was more than happy to offer Caroline her arm when they had left their apartment, a sentiment that Caroline dutifully accepted, the fluttering starting in her stomach once more. Now standing outside the diner doors Max flashed Caroline one of her trademark smiles and allowed Caroline to enter first.

_And they say 'romance is dead' _Caroline thought to herself.


	7. Flowers In The Window

When Caroline entered the diner the first thing she noticed was that the place seemed brighter. It looked the same and it felt the same, it even smelt the same but it just seemed brighter somehow. She knew it couldn't have been renovated as Han was as tight as two coats of paint and at one point he was so stingy he increased the price of tampons in the ladies toilet. So that ruled renovation out. The only thing she could think of was _her_. Maybe the place seemed brighter because she seemed brighter, happier than she had done in years and even happier that the reason for this brightness was standing right behind her.

The majority of the night at the diner had been pretty busy but the only notable person who came in was a woman with a dog who Max had rumbled months earlier. The woman had pretended that the dog was her 'emotional companion' but Max could see through it and told her if she admitted it was because of the lack of a boyfriend the dog could stay. Max only let them stay because the dog was cute and ultimately she decided a dog would probably be a better companion than a man anyway. After the woman had left, Max had found herself behind the counter with Caroline, it was really the only time they were close to each other since they had entered the diner earlier in the evening. The atmosphere between them was almost palpable.

Caroline could feel Max beside her, like a magnetic pull. She had wanted nothing more than to kiss her again, like earlier but they hadn't had a chance. Caroline was busy stocking up the pie counter and serving customers and Max was busy with customers after refusing Hans request to fill the pie counter. But as the diner numbers were dwindling and with customers busy eating they both found themselves here. After several minutes of chatty conversation Caroline linked her right pinky with Max's left pinky. It wasn't noticeable and no one would think they were doing anything out of the ordinary but for Caroline the touch was what she had needed. _She had missed Max touching her_. It had only been a few hours but it felt like days. For Max the gesture was unnecessarily cheesy but she didn't let go, she knew Caroline would enjoy the romance of it all and so she kept a hold of her pinky, _just for Caroline's sake though_ she thought to herself.

After a few minutes of holding Max's pinky a few customers paid for their food then left the diner. They were nearly at closing time and Caroline couldn't wait to get home to sleep. Yes she would sleep tonight… but it would be with Max, the thought made her smile and Max was quick to pick up on it.

'What you smiling at? Your teeth are blinding me' Max said in a tone that was both flirty and laced with playfulness. As the diner was almost empty Caroline simply shrugged and walked towards the back of the diner, just before she entered the door she turned to Max and whispered 'come find out.' Max was never one to conform and do as she was told but she knew this would probably be worth it and so followed Caroline quietly to the back of the diner looking over her shoulder as she went. She saw Caroline walk into the tall freezer room and shot her eyebrow up.

Although the freezer was cold, it didn't feel it. _Nothings cold around Max except maybe Max herself sometimes, _Caroline thought. Before Caroline knew it, Max's arms were around her waist and her red lips were on Caroline's. It was the first they had kissed in hours and yet the kiss felt like they had been apart forever. She could feel Max's tongue at her lip and gladly let their tongues entangle, she could feel Max's tongue fighting with her own and knew Max would ultimately take control. One hand was locked in Max's black curls and the other was placed around her neck, she could feel Max's hand snaking up from her waist caressing her back and then she moved them back down again. Enjoying the feeling Caroline gently moved her head backwards giving Max access to her neck. Max as always didn't let her down and quickly began peppering her neck with kisses, using a combination of small kisses and her tongue.

Just as Caroline was about to let out a gentle moan she heard Han shouting. They broke apart quickly just as Han came into the freezer room ranting about them not being finished and that there were still customers who had to pay. In the haste of them breaking apart Caroline had taken her phone out of her apron pocket and was pretending to look at something interesting for their cupcake business, while Han continued to complain to them. Max had turned to pretend that she was looking for food that they were running low on. It was then that she noticed Caroline's lips. They had smudges of red, the same colour as her lipstick. Desperately trying to get Caroline's attention Max began to furiously rub her lips but the gesture went ignored as Caroline still had her phone out.

'_Caroline what is that on your face, why are you all red_?' asked Han. He looked totally perplexed as if she had just grown another head. '_Super ghonnorea on her face Han run, that's why she came in here!'_ Max said, she could see Caroline's face glowing red in embarrassment. She could also see Han's brow furrow in confusion and he actually looked as if he may run away. But before he did, he turned back to Max looking at her. Before she tried to explain anything, he told Max that it was funny that Max's lipstick was the same colour as Caroline's red smudges. He then turned and left the freezer. Max mouthed a little 'wow' before he left unable to know how he didn't catch on. Then before they knew it he was back.

_'You?! He pointed at Caroline and you?!' now waving his finger at Max. 'I know what you were doing!' He sounded squeaky, like he had just inhaled helium, but there was a definite smile on his face._

'Shut it Han' Max snapped back, coming over more aggressively than she maybe would have liked. Caroline felt flustered as if they had just been caught doing something they weren't allowed and hastily shut the freezer door before Oleg heard. _That's all we would need_ Caroline thought. They both explained that yes he had just caught them kissing but that he wasn't allowed to talk to anyone about it. Max even went as far to say that if Han told anyone she would tell Hans mother that June was not his girlfriend and that she was actually a prostitute who worked in a different kind of '_it hole_' to the diner. The smile he had previously was quickly dissolved and the furious nodding of his head confirmed that he would indeed keep his mouth shut.

On their way home Caroline had taken a hold of Max's arm again. It seemed almost automatic now and she wondered how she hadn't done it all the time before, she couldn't imagine not doing it again. _It was her arm_. They had chatted about Han and Caroline was slightly nervous about him blabbing about them but Max had reassured her that, that would never happen because he would be more scared of Max than he already was at the moment. She chuckled hearing Max say this knowing fine well that it was the truth; she also knew that Max had affection for Han. An annoying love – hate brother affection. It was then that Caroline stopped and turned to Max, the street was deserted and she could see no one in sight, only a faint overhead light above the flower shop highlighting the flowers in the window. She leaned down and gave Max a quick peck on the cheek, then a longer kiss on the lips. 'Thank you for everything the past few years' she whispered.

Max was taken a back by the gesture, they had suddenly stopped and before she knew it she could feel Caroline against her lips. It was sudden and unexpected but she wasn't complaining, she actually enjoyed it. Before they moved again, Max had taken her hand out of her pocket and offered it to Caroline. Caroline almost done a double take to make sure she was seeing it right. _She's offering her hand to me in public_. Without waiting too long or saying something soppy that would cause Max to cringe she took her hand. They were only 5 minutes away from home but she was happy to know that she would be walking home holding Max's hand. They were clasped against each other, warm palms together and fingers entwined.

Once inside Max made a mental note of the day. _Kissed her? Check. Cuddled her? Check. Held her hand? Check. Made some money? Check. Smiled? Check. Appeared happy? Double check. Sleep? Check in progress. This girlfriend thing is easy Max thought doing a little internal dance. Told anyone? Well that was the next check and maybe it wouldn't be so easy._ They would tell people they had agreed but they also agreed to do it when they were ready, before Caroline no relationship had ever been long lasting for Max. The longest relationship she had was with her pot dealer and maybe the toy in her bedroom. But holding Caroline's hand she had a feeling this could be the best relationship she ever had.


	8. Sex on Fire

_Decided to go with a slightly smutty chapter since they are in the 'honeymoon' period of their relationship and we all know what happens in that time. Hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

It was a little after 9pm when they left the diner, they had managed to blag themselves an early finish with a little coaxing from Max to Han. They decided to run home quickly to get changed and go out to celebrate their '1 month together.' It had been at Caroline's insistence but Max wasn't too fussed it had been a while since she had last gotten drunk and she thought the prospect of Caroline with lowered inhibitions could be a lot of fun. The last time Caroline had gotten drunk she had phoned Max and they ended up having phone sex. _Yep Caroline had game when she wanted_. They entered the bar where there was an offer on tequila shots. Tonight could get very messy indeed Max thought to herself.

After two hours of 2 for 1 drinks and shots Caroline's head felt fuzzy, extremely fuzzy. Looking around at the beautiful brunette beside her she was unsure if the alcohol had even hit Max at all, she looked sober, she didn't look as if she had downed shot after shot and drank drink after drink. She was unsure if it was the alcohol or just Max's sexual aura but she really wanted to kiss her right there and then in this bar. In fact she wanted to do a lot of things to Max but she didn't want arrested for public indecency. _Yep even drunk Caroline still had high-class manners_. The thought of what she wanted to do to Max made her giggle, the giggle wasn't lost on Max who looked at Caroline with a raised eyebrow. Instead of saying anything Caroline slipped on her coat and whispered a simple 'lets go' in Max's ear.

Outside in the cool night air Caroline had her hand in Max's, they were taking a risk, they knew this was near the diner and they could be caught but neither seemed to care. The drinks had left them with a go with the flow attitude and that's what they did as they walked further away from the bar. Before Max could walk any further Caroline had captured her lips in her own. For Caroline, standing in the middle of the sidewalk kissing her girlfriend had never felt so good. Suddenly they heard voices approaching for the street around the corner.

_Shit!_ Max did the first thing that came to her mind to prevent them from being seen. She quickly grabbed Caroline's arm, pulled her down the darkened alleyway and into the crevice of a doorway. With the unexpected pull, Caroline almost tripped but Max's firm grip prevented her from hitting the floor. Their bodies were now flush against each other, heat radiating from both of them. They waited quietly for the people to pass and for the quietness to settle around them in the alleyway again.

Taking advantage of the situation Max pushed herself closer against Caroline, causing Caroline's face to be mere inches away. Caroline could feel herself sobering quickly. Their eyes met and Max could see the frenzy of emotion in Caroline's blue orbs. '_Why are you so irresistible?_' Max whispered teasingly into Caroline's neck, gently brushing her lips against the exposed skin. The feeling sent a jolt of electricity through Caroline and she opened her mouth slightly, her breath becoming heavier as Max ran her hands up her side of her body, over the side of her breasts. _Public indecency and high-class manners my ass Caroline thought_. Before Max's hand could run over her again, she caught Max's wrist in her hand. '_Why are you so mischievous?_' she asked back.

Bringing her free hand up Max placed it on Caroline's collarbone, slowly trailing her finger up over her neck and to her cheek. She ran her thumb along the blonde's jawline before closing the inches between them. The kiss was adoring yet vigorous and Max could still taste the remnants of tequila on Caroline. Her hands began to roam over Caroline again, she pressed her thigh between the blondes own thighs and she was immediately greeted with the warmth she had come to crave. '_I want you now…_' Caroline whispered, her chest heaving. Max didn't need another invite and gently pushed her hand up beneath Caroline's skirt. After building a slow yet hard thrusting rhythm Max could feel Caroline tightening around her fingers, she was close, _so close_. Caroline was bewildered with ecstasy. Here she was against a door, in an alleyway with Max pleasuring her, the rush of being outside and the danger of being caught was taking her to a different level, a level she was unaware she had. _A level only Max could take her to_. With one final thrust Caroline came undone on Max's fingers, she felt Max's lips against hers as she moaned all of her feelings into the brunette's mouth. Slowly removing her fingers Max pressed her head against Caroline's. She could see Caroline slowly being brought out of her fog and into reality, her chest stopped heaving as much and her breathing was beginning to stop sounding so ragged. She placed several gentle kisses on Caroline's lips before returning her forehead to Caroline's.

'_Caroline, I love you'_ it was barely whisper. Caroline thought she could feel her heart literally soar. It wasn't when she had expected to be told. It wasn't what she had imagined; she certainty didn't expect to be told in an alleyway after having sex outside and yet it fit. It was so completely Max. _Dysfunctional in a loveable way_. Before she could reply she felt tears well in her eyes and her breath catch in her throat, _no she wouldn't cry she wouldn't make Max feel more uncomfortable than she already was_. She swallowed her happy tears and placed a hand on Max's cheek, leaning in to kiss her gently. '_I love you too Max_.'

Caroline awoke to the piercing noise of her phone's ring tone. She stretched her arm to find the device and shut it off, her head was still buried in her pillow and her eyes were still closed. Hoping to see Max behind her Caroline finally opened a sleepy eye and made the effort to turn over, but when she turned around Max wasn't there. _She was in an empty bed. Max wasn't there. Drinks. Sex. Alleyway. Caroline, I love you_. They all flashed through her head. She thought after last night Max wouldn't run, but it looked as if she was wrong. She suddenly felt swamped by her bed, it seemed bigger and emptier than it ever had. She sighed and pulled the duvet back over her head, fully covering her naked body with the duvet. Then she heard it. She heard the click of the bathroom door and the familiar voice that came with it.

'_Are you still sleeping Blondie? It's not like you to sleep in! Remember we have that meeting today with Han about the diner?_'

Caroline removed her head out of the duvet rapidly blinking. The bathroom door was now open and leaning against it was Max. Draped in a towel with a toothbrush hanging loosely out of he mouth. Her hair had been towel dried and the dark curls had set just lower than her shoulders. Max could see Caroline staring at her and looked down scrutinizing her towel but finding nothing wrong. Max clicked her fingers hoping Caroline would return her attention to what Max had said. 'Earth to Caroline? You need to hurry your ass up' Max stated almost impatiently but Caroline was still focused on Max.

'I thought you'd ran again, when I woke up and you weren't there I thought you had left again' Caroline replied sadly. Max simply shook her head and made her way across the room to where Caroline was laying in bed. 'I wont leave and if I didn't have a mouth full of questionable toothpaste right now I would _totally_ kiss you.' Caroline laughed and pulled herself up to a sitting position, she leaned in and kissed Max's cheek. Max quickly jumped, ran to the bathroom and finished brushing her teeth. Before Caroline knew it Max was back, toothbrush free and was caressing her bare back reassuringly, the duvet cover had been pushed back leaving Caroline completely naked.

_Caroline knew then that even if Max freaked out and left she would come back. She would come back to her and she would come back to them. She was Caroline's and she was in just as deep as Caroline was_.

Caroline pulled Max towards her, the wet hair tickled her face and she let out a contented giggle. She kissed Max and allowed their tongues to dance together, eventually Max's towel came undone and slipped off her body. She did attempt to catch it half-heartedly but it was useless, the towel ended up on the floor next to last nights discarded clothes. They looked at one another, eyes locked before Caroline began to pull away stating that they had to go they had already gotten an early shift the night before they couldn't push their luck, Max laughed and pinned herself further up against Caroline, almost trapping her. Automatically Caroline wrapped her legs around Max's perfect curves and allowed Max to explore her neck with her lips.

Before they could get too carried away they were interrupted by Sophie knocking on their door. They would know that Polish drawl shouting anywhere. Max removed herself from Caroline and made her way over to pick up the clothes she was going to wear. A short while later they allowed Sophie to enter their apartment, she was only there for a few minutes having a rant before turning and leaving again. The expensive heels leaving a clicking sound on the hall floor. Both Max and Caroline shook their head before leaving the apartment, Max allowed Caroline to leave first before closing the door.

'I want to tell people about um about us' Max said as they left the apartment. Caroline could only reply with raised eyebrows. She didn't think Max would be ready for this so soon. 'I meant what I said last night Caroline.' Butterflies fluttered in Max's stomach, she never thought she'd be saying this but it was true, she loved Caroline and didn't want to be afraid to show people they were together. They made chatty conversation about how they would tell people at the diner, Max agreed that Caroline should probably take the lead on that particular conversation as she would probably mess it up. They opened the door onto the street and made their way in the direction of the diner, Caroline carefully removed Max's hand from her jeans pocket and clasped their fingers together, giving Max's hand a reassuring squeeze.

_So basically we are going to tell people I'm with the most unobtainable person on the planet_. Caroline smiled as she walked with Max towards the diner.


	9. This Years Love

_Thanks for following this guys! Please review if you read the story it means a lot and is very much appreciated even if its just a few words! _

* * *

Whenever Caroline had dated someone she tended to hold their hand. She didn't know why but she felt like it was an obligatory thing when you were in a relationship. She had also found that when it came to holding hands, everybody had their preferred technique: interlocking fingers, cupping palms, interlocking with a thumb rub, or the sweat-friendly pinky link. Some people were top hands, others bottom and some swung both ways. With Max, it was interlocking fingers with Max's had on top; just the way she liked it. She saw it as another sign as to why they were so good for each other, they had never discussed hand holding when they were friends and yet Max just knew the right way, she knew what Caroline liked. With this in mind she matched Max's pace towards the diner. They were going to tell everybody about them.

It had already been a month and Caroline couldn't believe how quickly it had flown by. They had established new ground, new territory, they had said _'I love you_,' they had slept together more times than Caroline could actually remember although she was more than sure every time they had it had been nothing short of incredible. Max was a magician with her hands and tongue. _Incredible_. It was only ten minutes ago that Max had surprised her by saying that she wanted to tell people about them. She knew they would tell people, she was comfortable with it but she did have a slight worry that maybe Max only wanted to tell people because Caroline was ready.

Max had learnt a lot about herself the past month. She had learnt that it was possible to love Caroline more than she did already, she had also learnt that she could find Caroline more attractive than she already did and she learnt that sex would never be as good if it wasn't with Caroline. She felt a twitch low in her stomach - _not now she chastised herself_. She was enjoying Caroline, just them in their little bubble with no care in the world, the only care they had was who was getting the shower first in the morning which usually resulted in them both under the water at the same time and not always showering. She wanted to tell people, she had blurted it out before they had left to go to the diner but now it was approaching she was feeling less than confident and yet she didn't want to let Caroline down. The warmth of Caroline's palm radiated against Max which cause her to give her hand a voluntary squeeze.

Max had noticed that no one really paid attention to them as they walked, there was no stares or no comments nothing really which she had expected. There was a mild expectation from her that there would be stares it wasn't uncommon for girls to hold hands but the opinions of girls holding hands seemed to change when it was obvious the relationship was romantic. She wouldn't say it but Max felt vulnerable. She felt the walls she had built around her being decimated brick by brick. Each step in their relationship was another brick being removed. _She felt like_ _it was a game of jenga, waiting for the wrong brick to be removed before everything came crashing down around her. C'mon Max pull yourself together woman!_

Caroline could see Max's demeanor change, when they had left the apartment she had been smiling, the care free toothy grin that Caroline just loved but her brows had now knit together almost frown like and Caroline could almost see the wheels turning in her head. There was two ways she could approach this with Max she could either approach it head on and see what was bothering her or she could wait for the brunette to come to her and open up. She opted for the latter reasoning that Max would probably feel uncomfortable having this conversation in the middle of the street. _She would probably feel uncomfortable having this conversation anywhere_ Caroline laughed internally. So she decided to go with the first option and just say what she wanted to say. She turned and faced the shorted brunette.

'Max what's wrong? And don't say nothing I can tell when something is bothering you'

Max felt rumbled. She knew there was no way she could lie to Caroline so she decided to be honest and tell her. She pulled Caroline off the sidewalk behind a small shop that gave them the privacy she wanted, she lowered her voice before starting her speech 'its nothing bad, I just feel like we have been having such a good time on our own and I don't want it to change. I'm not good with change they say its fine but its really not, everyone knowing about us makes it real which means… which means there is more chance of me messing it up and I don't want to do that Caroline, please don't think I don't want people to know about us because I do I'm just unsure if its now I think I need more time…or something I just cant today…please don't be mad.' Max didn't want to blink in fear of the unshed tears streaming down her face but she didn't want to lie either she really hoped Caroline would understand. _God she was getting sappy urgh._

Caroline could see how difficult it was for Max she could see her eyes shining with tears that were reluctant to fall, the walls she had tried so hard to remove were slowly being built again. She thought this would happen and not out of badness but because she knew Max wasn't ready and that's why she was so surprised earlier when she had said she wanted to tell people. Max's speech had warmed Caroline's heart and if possible she felt like she loved her even more. She reached out to tuck the stray strand of hair behind Max's ear before pulling her into a cuddle. She could feel Max relax under her body, after a few seconds she pulled Max away slightly in order to look at her. 'Its okay Max we will tell them when we are ready, I'm glad you told me instead of running though.' She could see the stains where the tears had fallen and slowly ran her thumb over them. She kissed Max lightly on the forehead before planting her lips on Max's. The walls that Max had threatened to rebuild moments ago were now retreating.

After a short conversation behind the shop Max felt better. She expected some sort of reaction from Caroline but she didn't get any, well she did. Only the reaction was full of love and thoughtfulness and it frightened her a little. _How did I manage to get so close to someone?_ Caroline had told her that being in a relationship meant they shared things and could be open with one another. Something Caroline was happy to embrace because she could, something Max could embrace with a little coaxing and nudging in the right direction. They rounded the corner back onto the sidewalk and Caroline let go of Max's hand, Max missed the contact and internally groaned. She took Caroline's hand again insisting that just because they weren't going to tell everyone about their relationship didn't mean Max wanted to stop doing this type of stuff.

The numbers at the diner began to dwindle quickly after 10pm. It was tip night though and that perked Max up a bit she always liked tip night even though she never got as many as Caroline probably because she wasn't as nice as Caroline. The kitchen light had gone out and it left Max, Caroline and Earl under the glow of the main light, which was missing two bulbs. Earl had retreated to his booth to give it a quick tidy before the weekend started, allowing Caroline and Max the table to themselves. Caroline had brought one of Max's cupcakes over to the table and placed it in the middle so that they could share. However before she could even sit down into the booth Max had taken a large bite of the cupcake resulting in Caroline swatting her over the arm. The swatting had resulted in a giggle coming from Max which was dutifully muffled by the sponge and frosting which tasted amazing if she could say so herself.

Earl was in his late seventies. He had seen his fair share of things in the world and lived through the liberating sixties where you could have sex, sleep and smoke your way through almost everything. He had watched the two girls grow into people who he was proud of over the past few weeks, he saw them both as daughters especially Max. He felt protective over her, like a Dad would. He had noticed the subtle changes in the girls over the past few weeks, the sly touches when they thought no one was watching, the longing looks when the other was busy and the shared smiles when they were looking at one another. He had told Caroline to stick it out and by the looks of it she had taken his advice, he wanted to talk to Max about it but he knew she would come to him in her own time to talk it over. He respected that. When he looked over at them at the table he watched Caroline reach over and wipe the bit of frosting that had gathered on Max's cheek. He made himself known before waving and saying goodnight to the girls; he smiled to himself as he left the diner. _Yeah he had seen his fair share of things in life but watching them at the table he could honestly say he hadn't seen any two people more right for each other than Max and Caroline._

Caroline allowed Max to enter their apartment first before she closed the door, it was usually Max who done that but considering the day and how Max had felt earlier she felt it was her turn. _Chivalry eh?_ Caroline had seen Max relax more as the night went on, she had hoped that Max would feel better about sharing things in the future. She crossed the room and sat on her bed while she pulled her shorts from her drawer deciding to sleep in her t-shirt and boy shorts while Max approached the fridge and took a drink from her bottle of diet coke. Caroline watched as Max absent-mindedly played with the label on the bottle, it was the same look that Max had earlier and she wondered if Max was okay.

Before she could say anything Max spoke. Max could feel Caroline's eyes on her and kept her eyes pinned to the label on her bottle. She couldn't do this with eye contact and so to avoid it she read the ingredients off the label _carbonated water, caffeine, phosphoric acid, aspartame…_ 'I uh I've been thinking about that stuff you said earlier, about being more open and sharing stuff. The thing is, it's just not that easy for me, because I haven't… my Dad left and is God knows where, the closest thing I've had to a Dad is Earl and since my Mum is like the Hitler of role models, I've gotten really good at bottling things up. Because I had to hold everything together when it was falling apart and jeez, I hate the way this sounds. I'm not used to this Caroline and that just makes me feel weak. And I'm frightened. Cause it's a scary thing, love.'

Caroline felt the tears well in her eyes, she had never seen or heard Max sound so raw and vulnerable in the whole time she had known her. She unhooked her legs and made her way over to where Max was standing. _Every time I think I cant love her more she pulls off something like this Caroline thought._


	10. Could It Be

_Thanks again for reading/following the story! Please review it really cheers me up!  
_

* * *

Caroline couldn't sleep she was tired but she couldn't; her mind was replaying the earlier conversation with Max. She had never heard Max like that, Max was always the brash insensitive one, but she had allowed Caroline a glimpse of her softer side and Caroline knew these would be rare occasions. She could hear the drum like beat of Max's heart against her ear and it soothed her, it made her feel safe and secure. She could tell by Max's breathing that she had fallen into a peaceful slumber. She could lay here forever, she wanted to. It was honestly the first time she had thought of it, she had always wanted the fairytale dream relationship that came with marriage and kids and now she had her own version of it well part of it, just with an emptier bank account. She leaned up and kissed Max's shoulder before closing her eyes and allowing sleep to take over.

Max swatted at her screeching phone. _She hated that damn alarm_. She finally blinked awake feeling the weight of Caroline stir against her, their legs still entwined together. _She wanted to do this every morning_. Caroline knew better than to mention the night before to Max so decided to brush past it by kissing her gently on the lips. That had been their routine now every morning since they had officially got together, and Caroline loved it. Before she could move, Max had moved on top of her and had her hands pinned above her head. She knew what Max wanted and was more than happy to oblige, their lips crashed together again and then Caroline was lost to the assault of kisses on her neck.

Saturday at the diner was always busy. Her feet always ached and she always complained. On some level Max thought she was extremely predictable at times, and every Saturday when she complained and moaned her way through their shift she knew it was one of those times. Her section was full and she was convinced she was going to create a hole in her boots by the amount of times she was walking back and forth to the kitchen, it was non stop. She finally bagged a minute as most of her customers began to eat or leave, making the most of it she ran to the bathroom. Having five minutes alone was good for her, it would save her locking Han in the freezer indefinitely and stop her from punching a complaining customer in the throat. _Yep five minutes is needed_. However before she could have the five minutes to herself she felt small yet strong hands on her waist, turning round she was met with Caroline.

'I just thought Id come and make sure you were okay' Caroline said while pushing herself a little more firmly against Max. 'I'm fine I just needed five minutes out of that pla-' Before Max could respond Caroline's lips were on hers, it was fierce and yet not too forceful but before Caroline could register Max's tongue against hers it was gone. Max stepped back and dusted herself down before smiling at Caroline and raising her eyebrows while holding the door open 'Ladies first Caroline' Max said motioning her hand to the diner. _This isn't over Caroline thought to herself._

As they made their way back into the diner they found yet more people had come into the diner. Max made her way back to her section and started the arduous task of serving her customers. Caroline took her place behind her section noticing the new guy sitting near the counter. She couldn't see him properly behind his menu but he looked okay and he wasn't a regular. She must've been staring too long because the next thing she knew he had put down his menu and offered his hand. 'Hi, I'm Joe, most people don't usually stare at me this much while I make my choice on dinner.' He said jokingly. Caroline had reciprocated her hand and they had begun chatting.

Max made her way over to Earl oblivious to the charming stranger chatting to Caroline. She was dead on her feet and Earl could tell. 'Damn Max you gotta get to sleep earlier or tell Caroline to stop keeping you up so late.' He said with a chuckle but as soon as he said it he regretted it, Max hadn't told him about her and Caroline but Earl thought it was so obvious it had slipped out before he really had a chance to process it. Max's head snapped back towards Earl. 'How did you know?' Max asked curiously. 'Oh please Max I know these things, yous are great together you have my full support' Earl replied placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Max could feel the relief wash over her, she would have told Earl in her own time but hadn't expected it to be so soon. She couldn't wait to tell Caroline that Earl knew and gave them his backing but as she went to turn she heard Caroline laughing. She could see Caroline now her head back laughing fully, usually the way she did at Max only this time it was at the handsome stranger sitting in front of her. Max felt a pang of jealously in her chest and immediately didn't like the guy in front of Caroline.

Instead of watching them Max had busied herself with other things, she had lifted plates, stocked the counters and spoken to Earl, mostly about her and Caroline. She wondered how Earl had known but then she remembered what Oleg had said months ago her and Caroline had been a 'will they wont they' case since the beginning and it made her wonder if everyone else thought the same. Sophie obviously didn't or half of New York and Poland would have known about it. Oleg probably wouldn't be surprised but she knew if he did know there would have been way more three some jokes than possibly necessary. The thought made her chuckle. Her section was beginning to empty now and the numbers in the diner were slowly falling but as she looked over towards Caroline she noticed the guy was still there and was still making Caroline laugh.

Caroline rarely spoke to people in the diner because they usually weren't her type of person or sometimes she was just too busy but she liked Joe. He wasn't an ass and he didn't act like a one because of the mediocre food, he was chatty and she liked that but she had missed Max. Since they left the bathroom she hadn't spoken to Max but had seen her look over a few times, normally she would have reassured her but she felt Max trusted her enough and didn't need to be told. She was going to tell Max about Joe but she was going to leave out the part about him giving her his number, she didn't want Max to get the wrong idea. Before she could think any more about it Max made her way over towards them.

She was going to act cool, she could be cool and now was one of them times where she would have to, even though she could feel the slight pang of jealousy bubble in her chest. It was closing time and she was glad to have a reason to come towards Caroline. As she was walking over she noticed the guy was pulling his wallet out, laughing down towards it. '_Are you new here or does your wallet tell jokes_?' she said it light heartedly but knew there was an edge to her voice. Caroline gave her a slight frown before she introduced them. Max could see the attraction, he was tall, athletic, dark and pretty handsome. As Caroline totaled up his bill he began to verbally count out his dollar bills. '_You playing bingo Joe?'_ Max asked. If he was annoyed he didn't show it, he pulled out another few bills before placing them on the counter and giving a wink to Caroline as he walked out the door.

Caroline could see the annoyance on Max's face, her brows had knit together and she had pinched the side of her cheek with her teeth. She's jealous Caroline thought. It shouldn't have made her happy but it did in a strange way, she knew Max wouldn't get jealous over nothing and it reaffirmed the brunettes feelings for her. She picked up the extra bills that Joe had placed on the counter before giving them to Max for their cupcake fund. If Max was supposed to be impressed she wasn't. She didn't know where this jealousy had come from, she trusted Caroline. In all the time she had known Caroline she had never let Max down, not once and Max knew that wouldn't start now. This was new to her she had never been jealous in a relationship, she was a bit unsure how to think about it if she was being honest. Caroline indicating that Joe had left his keys and was going to go out front to see if he was still around broke her from her daydream.

The first thing Caroline noticed was the cold as she stepped outside the diner, the goosebumps had risen on her arms and she couldn't wait to get back inside. In fact she couldn't wait till home time so she could crawl into bed with Max and wrap herself around the brunette, this morning seemed so long ago. As she looked a long the sidewalk she noticed Joe making his way back towards the diner, keys in hand she made her way towards him. They met half way a long and Caroline handed him the keys. She made some small talk before heading back towards the diner she was freezing and just wanted to be back indoors closer to Max. As she turned to walk back she felt his hand gently on her wrist pulling her back towards him 'I didn't thank you for my keys Caroline' before she could move back he placed his hands on the side of her face and kissed her.

Max wondered what was taking so long, it was only a bunch of keys. As she shut the last of the lights off in the diner she made her way to the door. When she stepped outside she felt the cold against her. She couldn't wait to get home and crash in bed with Caroline. She turned the key in the lock and looked up the sidewalk and that's when she saw them. There was Caroline, _her girlfriend_, with her hands against his shoulders his hands on her face, her lips on his. Max couldn't move, she was literally stunned as she watched the scene unfold. She watched him kiss her then she watched as Caroline pushed him back clearly annoyed as she tried to get her bearings, and then she watched as Caroline faced her. Their eyes meeting briefly before Max turned quickly and made her away from the scene tears stinging her eyes.

'_Max! Wait Max its not what it looks like_!' Caroline's voice began to fade as she made her way around the corner and out of sight of the blonde.


End file.
